SEO Case Study: 2X Organic Leads in 5 Months for a B2B Logistics Brokerage in Houston
In March 2025, a Houston, Texas based B2B logistics brokerage partnered with Goforaeo after noticing a steady drop in inbound quote requests from search. They had strong relationships and a good ops team, but their website was not doing enough work for them.
Over the next five months, we rebuilt the SEO foundation, created clear service pages and shipping focused content, and improved tracking so every lead could be proven. By the end of July 2025, organic leads had doubled with a cleaner pipeline and better lead quality.
Project snapshot and timeframe:
This project ran for five months from March 2025 through July 2025, with February 2025 used as the baseline month before work started. The company operates from Houston and sells freight brokerage services to businesses across Texas and nearby shipping lanes.
Key details:
- Location: Houston, Texas
- Business type: B2B logistics brokerage
- Timeframe: March 2025 to July 2025
- Baseline month: February 2025
- Result headline: Organic leads increased from 38 per month to 78 per month
How we defined a qualified organic lead:
Not every contact form submission counts in logistics. We only counted leads that matched real buying intent.
A qualified organic lead meant:
- A quote request with shipment details, lanes, or service type
- A phone call longer than 60 seconds from organic search
- A contact submission from a business email, not free email domains
Primary metrics we tracked monthly:
We tracked a small set of metrics that were easy to verify and tied to sales activity.
Metrics used in reporting:
- Organic leads: form fills plus tracked calls
- Organic sessions: search traffic to the website
- Search Console clicks and impressions
- Keyword count in top 3 and top 10 positions for Houston and service terms
- Conversion rate from organic sessions to leads
The starting point in February 2025:
Before we changed anything, we captured a clean baseline in February 2025. The numbers showed the site had demand, but it was not turning enough of that demand into real quote requests.
Baseline performance in February 2025:
- Organic sessions: 2,050
- Search Console impressions: 168,000
- Search Console clicks: 1,120
- Organic leads: 38 total
- Form leads: 25
- Tracked organic calls: 13
- Conversion rate: 1.85 percent
- Keywords in top 3 positions: 6
- Keywords in top 10 positions: 28
What was limiting growth:
The company had a solid reputation offline, but online signals were weak in the exact places that matter for logistics searches.
The biggest issues were:
- Service pages were broad and vague, with one page trying to cover everything
- Location relevance was weak for Houston intent searches like freight broker Houston and drayage Houston
- Blog content was thin and not mapped to real shipper questions
- Internal links were messy, so key pages did not get enough attention from search engines
- Tracking was incomplete, so the team could not connect search traffic to real pipeline
What the market looked like in Houston:
Houston is competitive for logistics because it connects industrial zones, port activity, and regional distribution lanes. Competitors were ranking with detailed service pages, clearer trust proof, and stronger directory listings.
To win, the site needed to look like a true specialist, not a generic broker.
Tracking and measurement setup:
We started with measurement so we could prove every claim in this SEO Case Study. In the first two weeks of March 2025, we fixed tracking gaps and aligned reporting with the sales team.
Key tracking work completed in March 2025:
- Google Analytics 4 conversion events for quote requests and contact submissions
- Google Search Console cleanup and property verification checks
- Call tracking setup for calls from organic landing pages
- Source tagging so we could separate organic, referral, and paid
- A monthly dashboard that the owner could review in minutes
What changed after tracking was fixed:
The first surprise was simple: the team was missing leads in reporting. Some calls were coming from organic pages but were being counted as direct traffic.
After tracking fixes, reporting became more accurate and decisions became easier.
Strategy overview used by Goforaeo:
The plan focused on clarity and proof. Logistics buyers want quick answers, confidence, and an easy way to request a quote.
Our strategy had five parts:
- Technical fixes to remove crawl and speed issues
- High intent service pages for core brokerage offerings
- Houston and industry relevance signals to win local and regional searches
- Content built around shipper questions, lanes, and shipping terms
- Conversion improvements so traffic turns into quote requests
Technical foundation work:
We kept it practical. The goal was a site that loads fast, is easy to crawl, and has clean page structure.
Core technical actions:
- Fixed index and canonical issues affecting key service pages
- Improved mobile speed by compressing images and cleaning heavy scripts
- Rebuilt internal links so priority pages were closer to the homepage
- Cleaned up duplicate pages that confused rankings
- Added basic schema where appropriate for organization and services
Service page rebuild for real buying intent:
Many logistics sites lose leads because they speak in general terms. We rewrote and expanded service pages to match what shippers search for and what they need to decide.
Pages rebuilt or created in this campaign:
- Freight brokerage in Houston
- Full truckload shipping support
- Less than truckload shipping
- Drayage support for Port of Houston related moves
- Expedited freight options
- Cross border and regional lane support where applicable
Each page included:
- Simple service explanation in normal words
- Who the service is for, with examples like manufacturers and distributors
- What information is needed for a quote
- Process steps from request to pickup to delivery updates
- Proof points like response times, coverage areas, and service capabilities
- A clear CTA to request a quote
Content that matched real shipper questions:
Instead of posting random topics, we built content around the questions that show intent, like rates, documentation, delivery risks, and lane planning.
Content themes we used:
- Shipping cost and rate education for common freight types
- Port and drayage basics explained simply
- Freight terminology guides that sales teams send to prospects
- Checklists and templates for quote requests
Authority signals and Houston relevance:
For a brokerage, trust matters. We used a mix of practical authority building that fits logistics.
Key actions:
- Built consistent listings on relevant business directories and logistics related directories
- Added partner and association mentions where the client already had relationships
- Earned a few niche backlinks through guest content and supplier partnerships
- Improved the company About page with real proof, team details, and service footprint
Conversion improvements:
Doubling leads is not only about rankings. We also made it easier for the right visitor to convert.
Key conversion updates:
- Shortened the quote form and moved shipment details to optional fields
- Added a sticky quote button on mobile
- Improved call tracking visibility and placed click to call CTAs on high intent pages
- Added trust proof near CTAs, like response time expectations and service coverage
Month by month rollout with actions and results:
Below is the exact monthly output and the measurable results from March 2025 through July 2025. Each month includes what we did and what changed in the numbers.
March 2025: foundation, tracking, and quick page fixes:
March was about setting the base and capturing clean data. We also fixed the easiest on page issues that were holding back existing pages.
Work completed from March 3, 2025 to March 31, 2025:
- Analytics and call tracking setup
- Technical crawl and priority fix list
- Improved titles and headings on top service pages
- Clean internal links from homepage to key money pages
Results for March 2025:
- Organic sessions: 2,220
- Search Console clicks: 1,260
- Organic leads: 44
- Form leads: 29
- Tracked organic calls: 15
- Keywords in top 3: 7
- Keywords in top 10: 31
April 2025: service pages rebuilt for freight intent:
April was the first big content production month, but it was not blog content. We focused on money pages because that is where quote requests come from.
Work completed from April 1, 2025 to April 30, 2025:
- Rebuilt freight brokerage in Houston page with clearer intent and proof
- Published full truckload and less than truckload pages with stronger structure
- Added service specific FAQs based on sales team questions
- Improved internal linking between service pages and quote page
Results for April 2025:
- Organic sessions: 2,740
- Search Console clicks: 1,520
- Organic leads: 53
- Form leads: 35
- Tracked organic calls: 18
- Keywords in top 3: 9
- Keywords in top 10: 40
May 2025: content clusters and Houston trust signals:
May focused on building topical depth. We published content that supported service pages and helped new pages rank faster.
Work completed from May 1, 2025 to May 31, 2025:
- Published 6 SEO articles tied to shipping terms and quote intent
- Created a simple resource hub to group content by topic
- Added directory listings and cleaned old inconsistent business info
- Built internal links from guides to service pages and quote request page
Results for May 2025:
- Organic sessions: 3,320
- Search Console clicks: 1,860
- Organic leads: 62
- Form leads: 41
- Tracked organic calls: 21
- Keywords in top 3: 12
- Keywords in top 10: 49
June 2025: authority building and conversion tuning:
June was about pushing credibility and making sure visitors who land on pages actually take action. We also refined content based on early Search Console query data.
Work completed from June 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025:
- Earned 4 relevant backlinks through partnerships and niche placements
- Updated top pages with clearer service area language for Houston and Texas lanes
- Improved form UX and added a short confirmation message with next steps
- Expanded 3 articles with new sections based on queries already driving impressions
Results for June 2025:
- Organic sessions: 3,980
- Search Console clicks: 2,210
- Organic leads: 71
- Form leads: 47
- Tracked organic calls: 24
- Keywords in top 3: 15
- Keywords in top 10: 58
July 2025: scaling what worked and cleaning the funnel:
July was about tightening and scaling. We focused on pages and topics already showing momentum and removed friction from the lead path.
Work completed from July 1, 2025 to July 31, 2025:
- Built a drayage focused page tied to Port of Houston search intent
- Published 5 new articles focused on cost, documentation, and lane planning
- Added clearer CTAs on mid funnel blog posts
- Refreshed older service pages with new proof points and improved headings
Results for July 2025:
- Organic sessions: 4,450
- Search Console clicks: 2,480
- Organic leads: 78
- Form leads: 52
- Tracked organic calls: 26
- Conversion rate: 1.75 percent
- Keywords in top 3: 17
- Keywords in top 10: 65
Before versus after proof:
This section shows the clean comparison from the baseline month to the end of the five month sprint. All numbers are verified through tracking and monthly reporting.
Lead growth proof:
- Before in February 2025: 38 organic leads per month
- After in July 2025: 78 organic leads per month
This is a clear 2X increase in organic leads over the campaign window.
Traffic and visibility proof:
- Before in February 2025: 2,050 organic sessions and 1,120 Search Console clicks
- After in July 2025: 4,450 organic sessions and 2,480 Search Console clicks
Visibility improved because the site covered more high intent logistics topics and the core service pages became stronger.
Ranking depth proof:
- Before in February 2025: 6 keywords in top 3 and 28 keywords in top 10
- After in July 2025: 17 keywords in top 3 and 65 keywords in top 10
The biggest improvements came from Houston intent service searches and long tail freight terms tied to quote requests.
Tools used during the campaign:
We used a simple tool stack that supports planning, execution, and proof. Nothing fancy, just reliable tools that keep decisions grounded.
Analytics and tracking tools:
- Google Analytics 4: conversion tracking, landing page performance, channel reporting
- Google Search Console: query data, indexing issues, page level clicks and impressions
- Call tracking software: tracked organic calls and tied them to landing pages
- Looker Studio dashboards: monthly reporting in one place
SEO research and site health tools:
- A site crawler for technical audits, broken links, and page structure checks
- A keyword research tool to build service page targets and content clusters
- A backlink monitoring tool to track new referring domains and link health
Workflow and publishing tools:
- Google Docs for drafting and editing
- A project board tool to track briefs, drafts, edits, and publish dates
- A simple QA checklist used before every publish
What made this campaign work:
There were many small improvements, but a few things made the biggest difference. These are the parts other brokers can copy without overcomplicating SEO.
Clear service pages beat generic messaging:
Once the brokerage had separate pages for full truckload, less than truckload, and drayage intent, rankings improved and leads became more specific. Prospects started sending shipment details earlier because the pages told them what to share.
Content that supports sales, not content for vanity:
The best performing articles were practical and answered buyer questions fast. They also linked naturally to the right service pages so readers had a next step.
Content formats that worked well:
- Simple shipping cost explanations
- Quote request checklists
- Freight terms explained in normal language
- Guides around port moves and common delays
Conversions improved because the funnel became shorter:
Logistics buyers are busy. We reduced friction by making it easier to call, easier to request a quote, and clearer what happens after submission.
Small changes that lifted results:
- Shorter form
- Better CTA placement
- Clear next steps on the thank you message
- Trust proof near the quote button
Next steps after July 2025:
After July 2025, the plan shifted from rebuilding to expansion. The company had a stronger base and could now scale into more lanes, more service keywords, and more industry specific pages.
The next roadmap items included:
- Building industry pages for manufacturers, construction suppliers, and distributors
- Creating lane focused pages where the brokerage had strong coverage
- Refreshing winning articles every quarter based on Search Console data
- Continuing steady link and directory growth to protect rankings
If you run a B2B logistics brokerage in Houston and want steady inbound quote requests from search, the main lesson is simple: build clear service pages first, support them with practical content, and track leads properly so growth is provable. That is how this partnership with Goforaeo doubled organic leads in five months.